at the end of a good, long story, it's time to sleep. Oh noooo- Oh, I didn't think of that aspect at all, but that's so lovely.
The word that came to mind instantly last night was "graceful." What a lovely, graceful exit for Eleven. It struck such a lovely balance between sadness and thankfulness- just like Nine's exit, this was a regeneration designed to let us know that while yes, it's sad and it's OKAY to be sad about this Doctor ending, that's what happens. Things end. People leave us. But the Doctor can go on. When I get round to writing about this episode, I'm going to have to try hard to not turn it into YET ANOTHER rant about how much I hated the self-indulgence and self-importance of how Ten went out.
Like so much, I think this regeneration scene was Moffat writing in response to what had come before. Lovely gestures to the past (and oh, I SOBBED when Amy appeared), but never wallowing. It was quiet and graceful and very beautiful- taking off the bowtie (I love how much Moffat appreciates what the bowtie MEANS to the Doctor, it's a very rich symbol for him and he's always known it) just about did me in.
But there's so much to rant about! Ten's regeneration even punches holes in RTD's episode "The Christmas Invasion," to say nothing of the overarching history/mythology of the show... Which is to say that I often have to stop myself from ranting about Ten as well. :) ( On a less ranty note, though - it's so interesting that Ten was still clinging to life and desperate to hang on, and Eleven - so much, much older, who had already accepted his death, not just his regeneration - gets the benediction of rest at the end: "good night," not "goodbye.")
And yes - I thought Moffat struck a really nice balance of reminding us how much Amy, the bowtie, etc. meant to Eleven (and to us), but also saying that it was nevertheless right that a new Doctor would step in. I think having *Clara* say "Please don't change" (instead of "I don't want to go") was also a smart move, because it allows us to sympathize with the sentiment without putting it into the Doctor's mouth.
I think, along with the "pile of good things" speech from "Vincent and the Doctor," Eleven's comments here about its being okay to be different people throughout our lifetimes, as long as we remember all the people we've been, will go into my "Doctor Who words to live by" column. What a lovely sentiment for him to leave us with.
Oh noooo- Oh, I didn't think of that aspect at all, but that's so lovely.
The word that came to mind instantly last night was "graceful." What a lovely, graceful exit for Eleven. It struck such a lovely balance between sadness and thankfulness- just like Nine's exit, this was a regeneration designed to let us know that while yes, it's sad and it's OKAY to be sad about this Doctor ending, that's what happens. Things end. People leave us. But the Doctor can go on. When I get round to writing about this episode, I'm going to have to try hard to not turn it into YET ANOTHER rant about how much I hated the self-indulgence and self-importance of how Ten went out.
Like so much, I think this regeneration scene was Moffat writing in response to what had come before. Lovely gestures to the past (and oh, I SOBBED when Amy appeared), but never wallowing. It was quiet and graceful and very beautiful- taking off the bowtie (I love how much Moffat appreciates what the bowtie MEANS to the Doctor, it's a very rich symbol for him and he's always known it) just about did me in.
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And yes - I thought Moffat struck a really nice balance of reminding us how much Amy, the bowtie, etc. meant to Eleven (and to us), but also saying that it was nevertheless right that a new Doctor would step in. I think having *Clara* say "Please don't change" (instead of "I don't want to go") was also a smart move, because it allows us to sympathize with the sentiment without putting it into the Doctor's mouth.
I think, along with the "pile of good things" speech from "Vincent and the Doctor," Eleven's comments here about its being okay to be different people throughout our lifetimes, as long as we remember all the people we've been, will go into my "Doctor Who words to live by" column. What a lovely sentiment for him to leave us with.
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